1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a rear body structure for a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A spare tire is often loaded on a rear section of a vehicle body. Japanese Utility Model Publication No.6-11906 has disclosed a storage pan for storing a spare tire. The storage pan is formed as the rear part of a floor panel and inclines to the front so as to carry a spare tire inclined forward up thereon. Because of the inclined position, the spare tire allows a rear body section of the vehicle to be appropriately crushed without thrusting the rear body section in an event where the vehicle is collided from the back.
Some types of vehicles are provided with rear seats with a small space to a rear wall of the vehicle body. For instance, a vehicle having three rows of seats arranged in a lengthwise direction from the front to the back of the vehicle or a vehicle having a short overall body length even though it has only two rows of seats are unavoidably restrained from providing a long distance or a large space between the rear seats and the rear wall of the vehicle body.
In such a vehicle which has only a short distance or a small space between the rear wall of the vehicle body and the rear row of seats, it is unavoidable to prevent the rear body section from crushing and thrusting at the back seats in an event of a collision from the back. In other words, it is essential to provide a reliable safety space behind the rear seats. While it is possible to provide the safety of passengers, in particular, seating on the rear seats by significantly increased strength of the rear body portion, it is not always desirable because it is accompanied by an increased w eight of th e rear body section.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a rear body structure for a vehicle body which significantly reduce crush or deformation of the rear body section toward the rear seats in an event of a collision from the back.
It is another object of the invention to provide a rear body structure for a vehicle body which has a structural strength increased without being accompanied by an increase in weight.
It is another object of the invention to provide a rear body structure for a vehicle body which can carry a spare tire with an effect of working to reduce deformation of the rear body section toward the rear seats in an event of a rear end collision.
The above objects are accomplished by providing a rear body structure for a vehicle body which comprises a floor panel with a pan opening upward for storing a spare tire therein formed at a rear section behind a part thereof to which suspension towers for rear wheels are installed and a seat having a seat cushion located to overlap the pan.
According to the rear body structure of the invention, a spare tire, which has high rigidity and is hard to be deformed, can thrust the rear body section to reduce deformation of the back section toward the rear seats due to a rear end collision. In particular, upon an occurrence of a rear end collision, the layout in which the seat cushion of the rear seat is situated above the spare tire prevents the spare tire from rising up due to an impact from the rear end so as to make the spare tire itself stretch sufficiently.
The seat cushion is may be desirably located above at least a front part of the pan. In this instance, while the spare tire at, in particular, its front end, which is apt to rise up during a rear end collision, is prevented from rising up. Further, it is unnecessary to locate the rear seats as backward as possible in order to prevent the spare tire from rising up.
The seat, and hence the seat cushion located above the spare tire, is pivotally supported so as to swivel forward. With this simple structure, the spare tire can be loaded onto and unloaded from the pan.
The seat may be adapted to be detachably mounted above the spare tire. In this case, guide rails formed with guide surfaces guide back and forth sliding movement of the seat supporting the weight of the seat, which is always desirable to enable a parson to easily dismount and reinstall the seat.